Posts filed under ‘Introductions’
Andrea Kalfas v. Tarzan of the Apes
- Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Andrea Kalfas, an illustrator currently soaking up the charm of Baltimore amidst many talented friends. I live with a punk named Jimmy Giegerich and our pretty grey cat. My favorite colors always come in pairs like a vivid magenta with an orangey red, I’m a synesthete, and I might be Freddie Mercury’s biggest fan.
I love painting in gouache and like to choose it over most mediums. I’m also really attracted to silk screening and hand lettering and am making an effort to learn/do both those things much better than I’m doing now, which is something I’m really looking forward to this year.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
A lot of my love for classic adventure stories like Tarzan of the Apes 
I’ve been a steady fan of Andrea’s for a couple of years now, and when developing this project I instantly thought of some concept work on her folio and knew she’d be a perfect addition. I can’t wait to see her first Tarzan illustration hit the blog on February 15! But do check out her lovely portfolio and get ready for more goodness.
Well, that wraps it up for today, but do check back tomorrow for three more introductions and three more lovely stories!
John Martz v. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
- Who are you and what do you do?
I’m John Martz. I am an illustrator living in Ottawa, Ontario. I studied design after high school, but always had a passion for cartoons, animation, and comics, so I think my style is an ever-evolving combination of the two worlds. My work is seen in children’s magazines, greeting cards, and other publications, and my comics have been in both the Flight and Syncopated anthologies. I also founded the illustration and cartooning blog Drawn! (drawn.ca) with several of my illustrator/cartoonist colleagues.
- Why did you pick the book you chose?
It’s always been a favourite, and I seem to discover something new every time I read it. There’s something quite special about reading Douglas Adams. His words seem to have this knowing wink to them, like he’s pulling away a curtain to reveal all of life’s absurdity.
I did a school book report on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
John’s a huge inspiration and I for one can’t wait to see his take on such wonderful characters. He’ll post his first illustration on February 12, so circle those calendars! In the meantime, peruse his wonderful portfolio and see his blog, where you will see so many good projects your head will spin!
Our last contributor of the day hails from Baltimore, but her subject matter is from a much more exotic land. Stay tuned!
Julia Sonmi Heglund v. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
- Who are you and what do you do?
Hi! I’m Julia. I like spaghetti, dogs, and drawing. I work full-time as a graphic designer and cartographer by day, and freelance odd illustrations by night.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
I read this book
Julia is a talented illustrator and designer; heck, you might even own one of her many shirts from Threadless! Check out her portfolio to see more, but also don’t forget to see her first illustration on February 11th!
Next up, a certain Ultimate Question needs to be answered… I think only John Martz can!
Sam Bosma v. The Hobbit.
- Who are you, and what do you do?
I am an illustrator living and working in Baltimore with Kali Ciesemier, and I am swiftly approaching my twenty-fourth year. My work is heavily influenced by folklore, fairytales, and mythology. I work with pencil, ink, and digital media; my visual vocabulary is crafted largely in hewn stone, driftwood, and red river clay.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
Reading The Hobbit
Sam will be presenting his first illustration for The Hobbit on February 10; please check back to see more!
In the meantime, you can see more work at Sam’s portfolio and also his blog (where you can see some really wonderful character sketches for his project!)
And do check back tomorrow for announcements about the next three artists in the series!
Will Bryant v. Peter Pan & Wendy
- Who are you and what do you do?
Will Bryant makes stuff as a freelance creative. He’s a member of Public School, an Austin based collective comprised of designers, illustrators, and photographers. “Mr. Fancy Pants” has had the privilege to work with clients such as Nike, Stussy, Graniph and Kraft Foods. When he’s not drawing, blogging, or smiling he’s probably laughing with his young bride.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
Well, I couldn’t come up with anything and I asked my good friend Kate Bingaman Burt. She quickly suggested Peter Pan and it made total sense! I LOVE Peter Pan (mostly referring to Hook, a film that shaped my childhood). So with a sense of nostalgia and an infatuation of the 90s I selected the wonderful story by J.M. Barrie.
Will is one of the most charming people I know and I for one cannot wait til February 9th to see his first piece for this!
In the meantime, won’t you check out his portfolio, and maybe Public School’s website?
One more ‘challenger’ to round out the day’s announcements, in about five minutes!
Meg Hunt v. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Let’s start this unveiling of illustrators, shall we? Okay, I’m going first I admit. (It was my idea, after all! Gotta put my illustrations where my mouth is, as it were!)
- Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Meg Hunt, and I am an illustrator currently dwelling in the deserts near Phoenix, Arizona. I make pictures because I want to make people happy, and it is my firm desire to be a maker of things people like to surround their lives with. I live out my days with a microscopic dog and plot constantly about moving and developing a silkscreen printshop up in Portland, OR. When I’m not doing that, I am drawing pictures of animals and patterns and anything else I can think of. It’s quite nice, and I’m always excited for the next bend in the road.
- Why did you put together Picture Book Report?
I’m a sucker for stories, and I wanted a project where I could develop and explore a body of work. Once I decided on my book, I thought ‘This is too good to do alone. I wonder if some of my friends might want to challenge themselves too?’ Thus I started inviting people, and Picture Book Report was born! It’s one of my further attempts at curation, something I didn’t know I loved doing until I stumbled into it.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
There are a few reasons; one, I always liked the book and have tried twice before to illustrate bits of it (once in high school, once in college; both were laughable and destroyed somewhere around the way!). As such I’ve always wanted to do right by it someday. After all, third time’s the charm! Beyond that, I’ve always found the stories puzzling and comforting at the same time. The idea of Wonderland (a land of wonder, a land that makes you stand on your head and rethink your ideas) has always appealed to me. Alice is a charming protagonist– a little pushy, a little indignant, but I’m always happy rereading and seeing her approach the next strange event.
Secondly, and this is a reason that came after I chose it, is because it was my father’s favorite Disney film. He passed away on the cusp of the new year, and after that sad occasion and its aftermath I found that my initial view of Wonderland started mutating. My dad was a physician’s assistant and while the medical field was nothing I ever wanted to pursue, because of him I have always been fascinated by science, nature, and organisms. Thus my view of Wonderland started becoming more biological and cellular in nature, what I’m terming microbiology-meets-Marimekko. I don’t think I would’ve honed my view in this direction unless things went the way they have. Bittersweet!
As such I’m unofficially dedicating this project (I hope everyone involved doesn’t mind, I know it’s a little presumptuous) to my dad, because while he wasn’t really a creative he taught me to practice and persevere and pursue things with both guns blazing, and I hope that pursuing this project will do him proud.
My first illustration will pop up on Monday, February 8 and start this whole party off! I do hope you check back.
In the meantime, would you care to see my portfolio? Or perhaps my rep’s website, if you’re in the mood to see more. And you can always buy some art prints up at my shop!
Next up: Will Bryant and a certain boy who never grew up!
Meet Picture Book Report.
Hello and welcome to Picture Book Report! I do hope you are well. We are pretty excellent. Now, we have a lot to get through this week, so please do get comfortable, adjust your focus, and enjoy the wonders we have in store for you this week and beyond.
We are launching Picture Book Report as an experiment of sorts– fifteen illustrators creating a new scene from their favorite books every month, posted one per day for three weeks! Think about that– that’s half a month of brand-new content, every month! That’s crazy, and beautiful, and honestly the idea swells me with love and gratitude for all the people involved.
This week is a bit of a primer, to whet your whistles and get you acquainted. Every day this week I will share three illustrators from the group and try and let them speak a bit about their books of choice and why they picked them. Each post (fingers crossed) will be accompanied by a ‘bookplate’ that will showcase a taste of their talent and style, and let you know when their first illustration goes up. (You can also look at the schedule page if that helps!) Next month I will add to the content with character sketches, inspiration ideas for my project, and if other folks have time they will try that too. It’s going to be exciting. Are you ready?
